Cleveland Museum of Art

Plate 10: Naphtali

Jacob de Gheyn II

Date

c. 1589

Medium

engraving

Culture

Netherlands

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In this print, biblical figure Naphtali counts with his fingers next to a stag, denoting his swiftness in battle. This is one of a series of prints depicting the twelve sons of Jacob, each with an attribute and costume that denotes his character. According to the Old Testament, Jacob blessed each of his twelve sons, prophesizing the destiny of their tribe, and assigning them a parcel of land in Canaan. The print series was made in the Netherlands in the late 16th century, a time of political struggle when Old Testament heroes were popular exemplars of fortitude and patience. The mountain face depicted in the background of this image may refer to the tribal lands in Northern Israel granted to Naphtali by his father, Jacob, which included a mountain pass.

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